The Truth About Ageing

Today's guest is a fave of mine... my beautiful Mum! Not only is she an absolute legend, but she has 15 years experience in positive psychology & working with people as a life coach. Today we unpack what positive psychology and positive ageing is, how we can re-wire our brains to focus more on the positives (yay for neuroplasticity!) and what 5 tools we can use and implement in our day-to-day lives.

No surprise that we talked for well over an episode, so today's ep covers tools 1 & 2 - tune in next Wednesday for tools 3-5!

To follow along with all our updates you can find The Truth About Ageing on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing or on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast :)

We've spent the last few episodes talking about a good death & planning for dying, so now we're moving to the other side of that, positive ageing! Today we unpack 5 key tips for ageing well - they are probably all things you've heard preached about before, but hopefully today's episode gives you some tangible ways to incorporate them into your every day life.

We talk about:
1. Regular exercise
2. Healthy diet
3. Staying connected
4. Keeping your brain active
5. Stress management

Whether you're 88 or 52, I really hope there's something you can take from todays episode and implement into your day-to-day life.

As always, you can find us on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing or on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast - talk with you all next week!

Today's episode is dedicated to my beautiful step-Nan, Jean. Little Jeanie died in hospital a little over a month ago and it was an absolute privilege to be present for her end-of-life care. It was a timely reminder of how beautiful death and palliative care can be in any physical environment.  

We talk about what palliative care is, when someone is considered palliative vs. end of life care and what options are available to you. The main options for palliative care we discuss today are home care, hospital care, hospice care and residential aged care. 

For more info about palliative care, head to www.palliativecare.org.au which can link you in with specific state based care options. 

If you'd like to engage more with the podcast - please come follow us on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing on Instagram or @thetruthaboutageingpodcast on Facebook.

Welcome back! Today we're talking about Advance Care Planning. So what is an Advance Care Plan? Essentially it's a document that captures your wishes for your health and end of life, if you were unable to communicate them yourself. 

Each state has different Advanced Care Planning documents and today we talk about why they're important, what Substitute Decision Makers are and when they come into play. For more state specific information, please head to www.advancecareplanning.org.au or call 1300 208 582.

If you want to join the conversation, you can find us on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast or on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing - speak to you next week!

Being the primary carer for a loved one can be an emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting task and also one of life's great privileges. In today's episode we talk about the signs and symptoms of carer stress and carer burnout, how to prevent carer stress, how to ask for help & also what help is available. Shout out to all the incredible carer's in the community - you are invaluable and absolutely integral to enabling people to live independently at home. 

As always, you can find us on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing or on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast.

To access help/learn more head to:
www.carersaustralia.com.au
www.carergateway.gov.au

How common are UTI's? How do they present in older adults? What causes a urinary tract infection? In today's quick tip episode we discuss how UTI's are 6x more common in older Australian's over the age of 65. We talk about how UTI's can be particularly challenging to diagnose for older adults with cognitive impairments, as they may be unable to communicate the symptoms they're experiencing. Please head to the links/studies below for additional information about UTI's in older Australians. As always, you can find us on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast or on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing - can't wait to speak again next week!

MORE INFO:
https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/fourth_atlas_2021_-_2.4_kidney_infections_and_urinary_tract_infections.pdf
https://acem.org.au/getmedia/996eb3b5-e3e7-41bd-9452-d2af97640e80/Burkett_et_al-2019_EMA

How do you respond when someone is searching for their mother who passed away 20 years ago? What do you do if someone is repeatedly alleging someone stole their keys? Welcome to part two in our behaviours associated with dementia episodes. If you haven't listen to ep 15, I'd encourage you start there to hear behaviours 1-3. Today we discuss repetitive behaviours and suspicions & delusions - how they can present, how you could respond & when you should seek medical advice. As always, you can find The Truth About Ageing on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast or on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing - I look forward to speaking with you again next week!

What does dementia actually look like? What are some of the behaviours associated with dementia? How do I help support someone living with dementia? Over E15 & E16 we unpack 5 common behaviours associated with dementia - how they present, what to do when someone is experiencing them & when to get more help. In part one we cover: memory loss & confusion, wandering and aggression & frustration. If you have any questions, please send them through on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast or on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing - talk with you again next week!

What is normal ageing vs. early signs of dementia? In today's episode we unpack 10 signs of dementia, how they present and how it compares to normal ageing or human behaviour. We also discuss what to do if you present with multiple warning signs and what the next steps are. If you feel you or a loved one may be experiencing signs of dementia you can head to www.dementia.org.au or www.dementia.com.au for more information. As discussed in the podcast, chatting with your GP can be a great place to start. If you'd like to hear more from us, find us on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast or on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing - speak to you next week! 

The 20th to 26th September is Dementia Action Week in Australia, so it felt like the perfect time to dive into all things dementia! Today we talk about what dementia is, some of the most common types of dementia (Alzheimer's disease, Vascular Dementia & Lewy Body Dementia) and where to go to for more information and resources! Next week we'll be unpacking some of the top 10 signs and symptoms of dementia - so stay tuned for episode 14. As always, you can find us on Instagram @thetruthaboutageing or on Facebook @thetruthaboutageingpodcast - speak to you next week!